Okay, okay- I caved. I ate chicken and I LIKED it. I really enjoyed how tender it was. Crazy, right?
So I came home on Sunday and was desperately craving more chicken (go figure). Monday came around, and it was time to do my weekly Whole Foods run so what did I pick up- a four pound chicken.
To put this all into perspective, I was always the girl who got grossed out by blood. In bio and later forensics class, I had to step out of the room when grotesque topics were discussed; my palms would sweat, I'd turn the shade of cauliflower, and I would feel incredibly light-headed. Growing up, my parents always cooked my meat for me even though I enjoyed cooking. I once tried to cook chicken with my friend, only to stop mid-way through because I felt like I was going to faint on my kitchen floor.
Anyway, I picked up the chicken and placed it in my cart...then I realized that I had no idea how to cook a chicken so I consulted with the parentals since both of them are fantastic chefs. I was lucky enough to get my dad on the phone during his work hours; he explained the process to me. Later on I got Mama on the phone and she offered a couple tips. When I got home, I decided to combine both their tips and then add a little of my own "flavor" (haha) to the chicken...
Roasted Chicken, Veggies & Apples
1. Chicken (I used a four-pound hormone and pesticide free chicken)
2. Paprika
3. Rosemary
4. Garlic Powder or Garlic Salt
5. Fresh Minced Garlic
6. Earth Balance Margarine (butter works too!)
7. Pepper
8. Sea Salt
9. Lemon
10. Assorted Vegetables (I used carrots, onions, celery) and Apples
Oven temperature: 350 degrees fahrenheit.
First, I washed out the chicken (easy, right?) and removed the "giblets" (ew!). I dried it off and sprinkled a generous amount of sea salt, a pinch of pepper, paprika and a squeeze of lemon all over.
I created an herb butter (paprika, rosemary, garlic powder, garlic, pepper, sea salt). I used a sharp knife to separate the skin from the meat, and slid the herb butter underneath.
After seasoning the chicken, I cut up the vegetables and apples into three-inch long pieces.
Since I only had a Le Creuset dutch oven and no roasting pan, I was instructed by my dad to create inch-thick aluminum foil logs and place them on the bottom of the dutch oven (I created three and made an asterisk-like shape). I then poured a half-inch of water in the dutch oven and rested the chicken on top. I placed the vegetables around the chicken and placed the chicken in the oven.
I did not have a meat thermometer, so I kept checking the chicken which took about an hour and a half to cook.